Inez say. Then a great shout from the street
silenced their converse. Colonel Bailie Peyton was speaking.

"We are here to consider principles of the first magnitude and which may
result in the shedding of innocent blood. One of the objects of this
meeting is to prevent so dire a calamity.

"The Vigilance Committee must be sustained or put down. If they are put
down it must be at the point of the bayonet. The question is whether we
shall appeal to the Governor to put them down in this way, or whether we
shall ask him to withdraw his opposition."

He looked up at the balconies across the street.

"The Vigilance Committeemen have the prayers of the churches on their
side, and the smiles of the ladies--God bless them."

There were cheers and applause.

Again his voice rose to crescendo:

"Let us show the Governor that if he fights the Committee he will have
to walk over more dead bodies than can be disposed of in the cemetery.
Let us indorse all the Committeemen have done. Let us be ready to fight
for them if necessary."

The crowd broke into wild huzzas. Volney Howard and Richard Ashe, the
naval officer, paused on a near-by corner, attracted by the uproar.
Howard scowled and muttered something about "damned pork merchants,"
but he looked uneasy.

* * * * *

The Vigilance Committee, undaunted by Governor Johnson's proclamation or
the efforts of the Law and Order element, continued quietly the work of
ridding San Francisco of its criminals and undesirables.

On June 10 the National Guard of San Francisco disbanded and Marshal
Hampton North resigned. Rumor had it that the Vigilance Committee's work
was finished. On July 4 they would disband with a great public
demonstration, it was rumored. Coleman did not deny this.

On July 19 came news that rifles and ammunition were being shipped from
Benicia; Wool was said at last to have capitulated. But it turned out to
be a small annual replenishment order of 130 muskets with a few rounds
of powder and ball. Later came the exciting rumors that John Durkee,
Charles Rand and a crew of ten men had captured the sloop carrying these
arms on the bay; had arrested Reuben Maloney, John Phillips and a man
named McNab. The arms were brought to Committee Headquarters in San
Francisco. On arrival there, perhaps through oversight, the prisoners
were released.

* * * * *

The Vigilance Committee made two serious mistake